Interesting Facts About Aluminium (Al)

Fun Facts About Aluminium

Aluminum is a strong but light metal. People use it for many manufacturing purposes. It is usually recognized by its shiny appearance. Here are thirteen interesting facts about this metal:

1. The word aluminum comes from the Latin word, alumen. This is what the Romans called alum, a compound containing aluminum and other elements. People of this era used alum to dye clothes and to put in medicines.

2. This element is the most abundant metal found in the crust of the Earth. Yet, it never occurs alone as a pure metal. Aluminum is always combined with some other element as a compound or an ore when encountered in a natural setting.

3. Manufacturers did not begin to produce aluminum in great quantities until the 1880’s. During that decade, two chemists discovered how to extract aluminum from naturally occurring compounds and ores that contained this metal. These two processes have remained the same and are used relatively unchanged most manufacturers today.

4. Among metals, only iron is produced in greater quantities than aluminum every year. More than 30 million tons of aluminum is produced every year. This is expected to rise rapidly in the near future as a result of the demands of China’s growing economy.

5. There is plenty of aluminum on the moon. It is third among abundant elements on that satellite of Earth. If humans ever colonize the Moon, they will have aluminum readily available for construction and manufacturing.

6. Aluminum is the thirteenth element on the periodic table. Its atomic weight is almost 27. It is followed on this table by silicon, an element with which it can form compounds.

7. Aluminum is normally found in solid state. Its melting point is 1220 degrees Fahrenheit. This metal will not boil until it reaches more than 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

8. Many everyday items are made from aluminum or aluminum alloys. Kitchen utensils, foils and cans are all made from this metal. Manufacturers choose aluminum because of its light weight combined with a strength that is, admittedly, not as high as iron’s. The advantages in its low weight counter the disadvantages when compared to iron.

9. A lot of high tech and industrial uses exist for aluminum as well. Automotive designers like it for its tensile strength. Airplane manufacturers use it to build the structure of airplanes and many of its parts. Rockets are made with aluminum in order to profit from its light weight.

10. Mirrors are made with an aluminum compound. Aluminum oxide is sprayed on the surface. This serves as a protective coating.

11. The synthetic rubies and sapphires used to fire lasers are also made with aluminum oxide.

12. Copper conducts electricity much better than aluminum. However, aluminum has a light but sturdy make-up that is used in electrical lines. Again, the advantages of aluminum’s lightness outweigh other draw backs in its nature.

13. Aluminum can be recycled with 100% efficiency. This means that it loses none of its natural qualities in the recycling process.